iPhone as all-in-one deviceBill said: "I am looking at the things the iPhone can do that would save the weight of the paper stuff I carry. My note book and pencil even though they are light still weigh something. I can ...

different ways to look at thisSince I now carry two open-cell-foam "underpads", that provides at least a little cushioning and thermal boost if I have to go to ground. The backpadding for my Mariposa Plus backpack is...

iPhone likely not the best multi-use deviceMy recollection is that the iPhone doesn't have a real GPS in it (?).
I thought through this stuff to some depth recently (though I didn't consider the iPhone); I ended up getting an ETE...

cocoon against bare legsThe one time I tried this I too wore thin (silk) longjohns underneath, so I can't say. I briefly tried them at home directly against bare legs, and in the brief attempt they felt okay, but the...

Go with goretex socks insteadIf you're talking about sealskinz socks here, I suggest going with Goretex socks instead. I own both, I started with the Sealskinz, and they're okay, but as the previous poster said, don...

Just got mine tooI too just got mine, I've so far taken them on one trip where I wore them in my hammock when it got down to a windy 40 degrees out.
I like them fine so far. Based on the (previous?) sizing ...

Re: My favorite socksIf you do go with Injinji socks, be aware that they come in different materials, and in three different lengths. I like the middle-size length; the shortest are so short that the don't reliabl...

Re: Re: hammock insulationI have the GG thinlight 3/8" pad, so I have a sense for what the 1/4" version might be like. My concern with any close-celled foam pad, even one as thin as 1/4", would be that it wo...

Golite ForceI use Golite shoes because the toe-box is shaped a lot more like the front of an actual human foot. More specifically, most trail runners or other shoes give me problems due to bunionettes (little to...

Montbell Thermawrap VestI have a size medium Thermawrap jacket and a size large Thermawrap vest; I probably should have reversed those to be able to layer the vest under the jacket rather than over, but it actually works fin...

Thermarest Neo-AirLike Dylan Carlson, I also used a Neo-Air (size regular for me) on a thru-hike. My thru-hike was of the Appalachian Trail, starting in late February (2010), so a lot of snow and cold weather in the f...

REI REI Peak UL Compact Hiking PolesI too had something over 3000 miles on my pair --- the majority of that thru-hiking the PCT in 2008 plus a variety of much shorter trips. I started my AT thru-hike with them (early in 2010), but just...

Memory-Map NavigatorThis is actually a comparison of two product alternatives for putting topographic software on a Windows Mobile platform smartphone with a true GPS.
The 4/5 rating is for one of those, Memory-Map Navi...

Golite Versa ForceLet me start by saying that my rating of '4' is tentative until I've done more miles in these. But as I found nothing useful in searching for reviews of currently-available Golite footwe...

ULA Axis CramponI'm hoping to thru-hike the PCT next year, and one of many equipment issues for me was the question of whether to use crampons or not in the Sierras. I also do day hikes in "shoulder" s...

Western Mountaineering SummerLiteI agree --- the summerlite is excellent. I frankly don't trust any individual evaluation of a sleeping bag temperature rating (32F in this case); so many things affect this, including not only th...